New #ALSEN poll shows Judge Moore with 11-point lead

In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore greets supporters before his election party in Montgomery, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Yesterday I outlined why Fox News’ Alabama Senate poll of registered voters was useless in determining the state of the race to replace Jeff Sessions. Today, a poll of 3,000 likely voters in the race shows Judge Roy Moore leading Democrat Doug Jones by double digits.

As I explained yesterday, a poll of likely voters is a more accurate representation of any race compared to registered voters. Especially a race that is now less than 60 days before the Dec. 12 special election.

The Raycom News Network poll shows Moore with a commanding 51-40 percent lead over Jones, with 9 percent undecided.

Jonathan Gray of Strategy Research, the firm that conducted the poll for Raycom, outlined the challenges facing the Democrat Jones.

“I think the challenge for the Jones campaign is bigger than what these numbers show,” Gray said. “Even if he were able to close the gap, how do you turn out Democrats in a state that hasn’t had a viable Democratic Party in almost a dozen years?”

The Fox News poll earlier in the week was quickly seized upon by both progressive and establishment Republicans who are hoping for a Moore loss. This is especially true of The Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol, who has been relentless in his attacks on Moore.